Former Chelsea star picks who he'd play up front for Blues in Club World Cup final

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will look to lead his side to a second continental win on Sunday when the Blues take on Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final.  

The Premier League side go into the game as underdogs against the Champions League winners, who made light work of Real Madrid in the semi-final to book their place in the tournament's showpiece. 

A key descision for Maresca will be who he deploys as his focal point in attack, with a choice of three options at his disposal. 

Liam Delap is back in contention after suspension, while Nicolas Jackson is also available, but speaking exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to AskGamblers, Micky Hazard has urged the Italian to go with new star Joao Pedro. 

The Brazilian netted twice on his first start for the club in their semi-final win, and the former Blues midfielder thinks the game is ideally suited for the new star. 

"I would start Joao Pedro in the final," Hazard said. 

"He is unpredictable, and this can cause defenders problems if he is on his A game. Pedro can score all types of goals and is a handful.

"The key is to score first and it Pedro is given a chance early on, it’s important to take this and for Chelsea to score first.

"Liam Delap is useful, but I think off the bench will be the best for him in the final. Pedro is more suited to the type of game this will be." 

Whomever starts up front for the West Londoners, the whole team will need to on top of their game against a PSG team who are considered the best in Europe right now. 

Hazard admits it's a tough task for his former club, but believes they have a chance of overcoming the Parisians if they take advantage of their opportunities. 

Adding, "It’s a tough ask indeed as PSG are playing great football and haven’t looked back from their Champions League success. I’ve been very impressed with their performances as a team and they all know their roles well.

"Hakimi and Vitinha are in great form, but the two who are really setting high standards are as Doue and Dembele. I expect PSG to play with huge confidence and it will be tough for Chelsea

"They need to take their chances and Cole Palmer needs to be on his A game for sure. Defensively, Chelsea must be on the ball as well and limit PSG to long-range shots." 

 

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